Timer having an adjustable timing cycle



June 2@, @967 j w 5 3,327,074

TIMER HAVING AN ADJUSTABLE TIMING CYCLE Filed Sept. 20, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 26 INVENTOR 25 JOSEPH E. WISER ATTORNEY J 1967 J. E. WISER 3,327,074

TIMER HAVING AN ADJUSTABLE TIMING CYCLE Filed Sept. 20 1965 3 Sheet$-Sheet INVENTOR JOSEPH E. WISE/i ATTORNEY June 20, 1967 J. E. WISER 3,327,074

TIMER HAVING AN ADJUSTABLE TIMING CYCLE Filed Sept. 20, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 k 1 iii llHh. HM 6 u FIE 5' l3 2! Q l7 1 Tr 1 27 62 T42 32 In 3??! I INVENTOR 34 JOSEPH E. WISER F162 6 52A ,g

ATTORNEY United States Patent Joseph E. Wiser,

Mallory & C0. Delaware Filed Sept. 20, 1965, Ser. No. 488,488 13 Claims. (Cl. 200-38) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A timer including a mounting plate, a motor mounted to said mounting plate, a pinion gear, a drive gear, driving mechanism, a segment gear and a lever means. The pinion gear is adapted to rotate the driving mechanism including an actuating member for displacing the segment gear into engagement with the drive gear after a predetermined number of revolutions of the pinion gear. The lever means is engageable with a post on the segment gear and is adapted to reset the driving mechanism when the segment gear is engaged with the drive gear. A shaft means is journalled in the mounting plate and is adapted to be rotated by the segment gear. A plurality of control cams are carried by the shaft means so as to be rotated thereby. A plurality of switches are adapted to be operated by the cams.

The present invention relates generally to timers and more particularly to the means and method for providing a timer having an adjustable timing cycle and a fixed service cycle.

There are many applications for the timer of the present invention. For example, alarm systems, exhaust systems, water softeners, and periodic signal transmitters can be designed using the timer of the present invention. In addition, a timer having a readily adjustable timing cycle could be widely used in laboratory work and for periodic cleaning or filtering of swimming pools and other liquid containers.

In each of the abovernentioned applications there is a requirement for a fixed service cycle after a selected time interval. For instance, in the case of a water softener, the service cycle for flushing the softening agents is always a fixed time period. The time interval between service cycles should be adjustable from one day up to twelve days depending on the amount of water being used and the hardness of the water. Also, in order for the softener system to have maximum utility, the timer must have provisions for manually starting a service cycle at any point in time.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a novel efficient, and economical solution to the timing and control requirements of the aforementioned applications. There is presented herein a timer which can be adjusted to provide a fixed service cycle after a selected time interval. Also, the timer can be adjusted so that the service cycle will start at a particular point in time after the established time interval. There is provided a manual means for starting a service cycle at any point in time and a manual means for resetting the timer so as to repeat a preselected time interval. By the accompanying drawing and specification, therefore, there will be disclosed the novel means and method whereby the present invention fulfills the required purpose.

It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide a timer having an adjustable timing cycle and a fixed service cycle.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a timer wherein the time interval between service cycles can be readily adjusted and wherein there is a means for adjusting said timer so as to obtain a service cycle at a given point in time after a preselected time interval.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a timer wherein there is a manual means for initiating a service cycle at any point in time.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a timer wherein there is a manual means for resetting the timer after a manually initiated service cycle.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a timer having a automatic means for resetting the driving mechanism of said timer after the initiation of a service cycle.

The present invention, in another of its aspects, relates to novel features of the instrumentalities described herein for teaching the principal object of the invention and to the novel principles employed in the instrumentalities whether or not these features and principles may be used in the said object and/ or in the said field.

Other objects of the invention and the nature thereof will become apparent from the following description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and wherein like reference numbers describe elements of similar function therein and wherein the scope of the invention is determined rather from the dependent claims.

For illustrative purposes, the invention will be described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the timer illustrating the overall physical arrangement of said timer.

FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view of the timer with the escutcheon plate removed so as to show the arrangement of the various cams, gears, springs, linkages, etc, within said timer.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary top view of the timer, with the escutcheon plate removed and the mounting plate cutaway so as to show how the switches are operated by the cam of the timer. FIGURE 3 also shows the mechanism as it appears at the beginning of a timing cycle.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary top view with the escutcheon plate removed and illustrating how the driving mechanism starts the service cycle after ap redetermined time period.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary top view of the timer with the escutcheon plate partially removed to illustrate how the driving mechanism is returned to its original setting after a cycle has been started.

FIGURE 6 is a sectional view 6-6, taken from FIG- URE 5, showing how the two selector knobs cooperate with the time mechanism to establish the length of the timing cycle and the time for the service cycle.

Generally speaking, the present invention is a timer having an adjustable timing cycle and comprises: a mounting plate; a motor mounted to said mounting plate and having a shaft extending therethrough; a pinion gear and a driving gear mounted on said shaft so as to be rotated thereby; a driving mechanism adapted to be driven by said pinion gear; said driving mechanism. having a drive arm for engaging and driving a ratchet which is rotatably mounted on said mounting plate; a spring means for biasing said ratchet to a position against a stop means; said stop means having a plurality of positions for determining the length of said timing cycle; said drive arm adapted to rotate said ratchet a predetermined amount for each rotation of said driving mechanism, a means afiixed to said ratchet for engaging an actuating member when said ratchet has been rotated a predetermined amount; said actuating member having an end portion for rotating a segment gear into engagement with said driving gear; said segment gear being mounted on a shaft so as to impart rotation thereto; a plurality of control cams mounted on said shaft so as to be rotated thereby; and a plurality of switches operated by said control cams for controlling elements of an appliance.

Referring now to the drawing, and particularly to the perspective view of FIGURE 1, the component parts of the timer of this invention can be visualized in conjunction with the following description. Mounting plate is a main structural member for the timer. Escutcheon plate 11 is affixed to the mounting plate 10 by means of the standoff posts 12 and screws 13. A time interval selector knob 14 and time selector knob 15 protrude above the escutcheon plate 11 to provide a means for setting the timer. The time selector knob 15 is coupled to an indicator dial 16 and has a pointer 18 mounted on said knob to indicate the position of the timer. A pointer 17 is affixed to the es-outcheon plate to indicate the time of day as the timer progresses. Lever means 19 extends through hole 19 in the escutoheon plate 11 to provide a means for manually synchronizing the timer after a manually started service cycle. The service switches 20 and cooperating earns 24 and 25 are attached to the timer to provide an output for operating associated equipment. An adjusting plate 22, shown just below the escutcheon plate 11, is a means for presetting the timer to provide a service cycle after a given time interval. The slots 23 in the mounting plate 10 are to retain a tang 27 on the adjusting plate 22 after a given time interval has been selected. The hole or opening 21 in the escutcheon plate 11 is to permit visual observation of the designations on the adjusting plate 22. The adjusting plate 22 is a stop means with a plurality of positions for determining the length of the timing cycle.

Referring now to FIGURE 2, we can see an exploded perspective view of the timer with the escutcheon plate 11 removed to show the control mechanism of said timer. The shaft 28, which is rotatably aflixed to the mounting plate 10, is the shaft for the time selector knob 15, not shown in FIGURE 2, and has a gear 29 and a cam 30 mounted thereon so as to rotate with said shaft. The gear 29 is driven by the pinion gear 32 which is attached to the shaft of the driving means for the timer, hereinafter referred to as the timer motor 34, not shown in FIGURE 2. The cam 30, which rotates with the gear 29, imparts motion to the cam follower 35 which has a roller 31 riding on the periphery of said cam. A drive arm 36 is coupled to the cam follower 35 and both the drive arm 36 and cam follower are biased in the direction of the cam 30 by a spring means 37. An end portion 38 of the drive arm 36 engages a rotary member, hereinafter referred to as a ratchet 39, so as to rotate said ratchet when the cam 30 is in a predetermined angular position. A back-up pawl 40 is provided to hold the ratchet 39 when the drive arm 36 is moved by the cam follower 35. The knurled portion 41 of the time interval selector knob 14 is pressed into the hole 42 in the shaft 60 for the adjusting plate 22. The driving gear 33, which is also mounted on the shaft of the timer motor 34 drives segment gear 43 which is on a common shaft 44 with the timer earns 24, 25 and 26. An actuating member, hereinafter referred to as the starter spring 45 is wrapped around the hub for the adjusting plate 22 shaft 60, not shown FIGURE 2, and has a first end 46 anchored in a hole 48 in the mounting plate 10 and a sec-0nd end portion 47 disposed so as to engage a post 49 on the segment gear 43. It can be seen that a portion of the teeth of segment gear 43 are missing. The reason for the missing teeth will be discussed later in conjunction with an operational analysis of the timer. There is a means on ratchet 39 for engaging the starter spring 45 in a manner that will be discussed in conjunction with FIGURE 4. The lever means 19 is pivotally atfixed to post 51. The function of lever means 19 will be discussed in conjunction with FIGURE 5 of the drawing. It can be seen that each of the adjustment positions 23 are represented by the numbers 1 through 12 and the letter M on adjustment plate 22. The hole 52 in the mounting plate 10 is to permit assembly of the timer motor 34 to said mounting plate with the gear 33 already assembled to the shaft of said timer motor.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, we can see a further illustration of the mechanism of the timer. In this figure the mechanism is shown with the ratchet 39 at the beginning of a cycle. That is, the end portion of the drive arm 36 has to move through eleven more teeth before the post will engage the starter spring 45. It can also be seen that the roller 31 of the cam follower 35 is at a beginning position on the periphery of cam 30 and that the teeth of the driving gear 33 are not in engagement with the teeth of the segment gear 43. A part of the mounting plate 10 is shown broken away to illustrate how the cam 26 operates switch 20. The coil spring 53 is a spring means for biasing the ratchet 39 towards a starting position defined by the turned down tang 54 on the adjusting plate 22. That is, if drive arm 36 and back-up pawl 40 are disengaged from the ratchet 39, the coil spring 35 will return said ratchet to a position defined by tang 54 on the adjusting plate 22. The drive arm 36 and back-up pawl 40 may be disengaged from ratchet 39 by the rotation of lever means 19 about the post 51. The lever means 19 can be rotated manually by moving the portion that protrudes through the escutcheon plate 11, not shown in FIGURE 3, or by action of the post 55 on the bottom of the segment gear 43 against a portion of said lever means.

Referring now to FIGURE 4, we see a view of the mechanism showing the end of a timing cycle or the beginning of a service cycle. In this view, the ratchet 39 is in a position where the post 50 on said ratchet can engage the starter spring 45. The starter spring 45 is engaging post 49 on segment gear 43 so as to cause said segment gear to engagedriving gear 33. It can be seen that the coil spring 53 has been extended to its capacity and that cam follower 35 is in a position on cam 31) to begin another timing cycle.

Referring now to FIGURE 5, we can see an illustration of the action of lever means 19 as it disengages the drive arm 36 and back-up pawl 40 from the teeth of ratchet 39, thereby allowing coil spring 53 to return said ratchet to its predetermined starting position maintained by the adjusting plate 2 2. The post 55 on the bottom of the segment gear 43 is against the end portion of the lever means 19 which is under said segment gear, said post being the member which rotates said lever means about the post 51 as said segment gear rotates.

Referring now to FIGURE 6, we see a sectional view 66 taken from FIGURE 5. The time interval selector knob 14 has a knurled portion 41 which is pressed into -a hole 42 in the shaft which rotates the adjusting plate 22. When the time interval selector knob 14 is pulled from the escutcheon plate 11, the tang 27 of the adjusting plate 22 is pulled out of the hole 23 in the mounting plate 10. The spring 56 pushes against the washer 58, which is secured to shaft 60 by the true are ring 59, so as to hold tang 27 into any hole 23 which is selected by the operator. There is a spring washer 57 between the indicator dial 16 and the time selector knob 15 to permit movement of said dial with respect to said knob.

There is a spring clutch, not shown in the drawing, which permits the rotation of the hub 61 and the cam 30, which is mounted on said hub, with respect to the gear 29. The purpose of this spring clutch is to permit adjustment of the time selector knob 15 without turning gear 29.

The gear 29, cam 30, cam follower 35, spring 37 and drive arm 36 comprise a driving mechanism which is driven by the pinion gear 32 and which is adapted to impart rotational motion to the segment gear 43 after a predetermined number of revolutions of said driving mechanism or of said pinion gear.

The time interval selector knob 14, which rot-ates the adjusting plate 22, is a manual means for rotatingthe ratchet 39 into engagement with the starter spring 45 so as to rotate the segment gear 43 into engagement with the drive gear 33. More generally, the timer interval selector knob 14 can be considered as a manual means for engaging the segment gear 43 with the drive gear 33.

The lever means 19' is a manual means for resetting the driving mechanism after the segment gear 43 has been manually engaged with the drive gear 33. The lever means 19 is also engageable with a post on the segment gear 43 and adapted to automatically reset the driving mechanism after said segment gear is engaged with the drive gear 33.

With the above description of components in mind, and by making reference to the drawing figures, the following analysis of operation will serve to convey the functional details of the timer. As stated previously, there are two separate and distinct cycles for the timer of the present invention. The first cycle is referred to as the timing cycle and is that period of time which elapses between service cycles. The second cycle is the service cycle.

The timing cycle can be in increments of any given time measurement, such as hours or days. All that is re quired is for the cam 30 to be rotated one complete revolution during the selected period of time. The length of the service cycle is determined by the arrangement of cam 24, 25 and 26 and their associated switches 20.

In order to discuss the operation of the timer of the present invention, we can assume that the timing cycle is established in increments of one day or twenty-four hours. 'In this case, the cam 30, will be rotated through one complete revolution in twenty-four hours. Since the adjusting plate 22 has twelve adjustment positions, the timing cycle can .be adjusted from one through twelve days. Referring to FIGURE 2, it can be seen that the adjusting plate 22 is in the adjustment position 23 which will provide an eleven day timing cycle. Hence, the cam 30 will have to be rotated through eleven complete revolutions in order for the drive arm to move the ratchet 39 through eleven teeth so that the post 50 can move the starter spring 45. The starter spring 45 is a means for engaging the segment gear 43 in order to start the service cycle.

Referring further to FIGURE 3, the action of the driving mechanism comprised of gear 29, cam 30, cam follower 35, roller 31, spring 37 and drive arm 36 can be analyzed. As the cam 39 is rotated by the gear 29, the roller 31 on the cam follower member 35 follows the periphery of said cam. The spring 37 is a means for biasing the cam follower 35 and the drive arm 36 in the direction of the cam 30. An end portion 38 of the drive arm 36 is adapted to engage the teeth on ratchet 39 and to drive said ratchet when the roller 31 on the cam follower 35 rolls down the incline of the cam 30. The driving force for the drive arm 36 is the spring 37. The dimensions of the cam 30, the cam follower 35, and the drive arm 36 are such that the ratchet 39 is advanced one tooth-space for each revolution of said cam. Since we have assumed in our example that the cam 30 will rotate at one revolution per day, the ratchet 39 will advance one tooth-space per day.

Referring now to FIGURE 4, we can see that when the ratchet 39 has been advanced through eleven days or eleven teeth, the post 50 on said ratchet displaces the starter spring 45 which rotates the segment gear 43 so that said segment gear is engaged with and driven by the driving gear 33. It should be noted that the segment gear 43 will not be driven by the driving gear 33 as long as that portion of said segment gear which does not have teeth is directly adjacent to the driving gear 33.

Referring again to FIGURE 5, we can see that the post 55 on the bottom of the segment gear 43 acts against a portion of the lever 19 so as to pivot said lever about the post 51 to remove the drive arm 36 and the back-up pawl 40 from engagement with the teeth of the ratchet 39. When the drive arm 36 and back-up pawl 40 are removed from engagement with the ratchet 39, said ratchet will be returned to its initial position by this coil spring 53.

Referring now to FIGURE 6, we can see how a particular hour is selected for the beginning of a service cycle. It will be noted, for this illustration, that the timing cycle was set up for an interval of one day. Since the time selector knob 15 rotates on a common hub with gear 29 and cam 30, said time selector knob makes one complete revolution each day. The selection of a particular hour for the service cycle is made in the following manner. The indicator dial 16, which is rotatably mounted on hub 61 and held to the time selector knob 15 by a spring washer 57, is turned with respect to said time selector knob until a particular hour, either during the day or night, is aligned with the pointer 18. At that point the time selector knob 15 and indicator 16 are both rotated in the direction of rotation of the cam 30 until the pointer 17 on the escutcheon plate is pointing at the time on the indicator dial when the adjustment is made. There is a slip clutch for permitting rotation of the cam 30 with respect to the gear 29 when the time adjustment is made.

A useful feature of the timer of the present invention is that a service cycle can be started manually at any given time. The instant service cycle is started by rotating the time interval selector knob 14 clockwise until the letter M appears in opening 21 in the escutcheon plate 11. The rotation of the time interval selector knob 14 moves the adjusting plate 22 clockwise which, in turn, moves the ratchet 39 clockwise. When the letter M on the adjusting plate 22 is under the opening 21 in the escutcheon plate 11, the post 50 on the ratchet 39 will be pressing against the starter spring 45 to rotate the segment gear 43 into engagement with the driving gear 33; thereby rotating the earns 24, 25 and 26 to operate the switches 20. After the service cycle is started, the adjusting plate 22 is returned to its original position or to a new position by means of time interval selector knob 14. The timer can then be reset or synchronized by pulling on that portion of the lever means 19 protruding through the hole 19' in the escutcheon plate 11 so as to rotate said lever means about the post 51. As stated previously, when the lever means 19 is rotated about the post 51, an end portion of said lever means disengages the drive arm 36 and the back-up pawl from the ratchet 39 so as to permit said ratchet to be returned to its position against the adjusting plate 22 by the coil spring 53.

The timer of the present invention, as hereinbefore described in one of its embodiments, is merely illustrative and not exhaustive in scope. Since many widely dilferent embodiments of the invention may be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the.

accompanying drawings shall be interposed as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A timer having an adjustable timing cycle comprising: a mounting plate; a motor mounted to said mounting plate and having a shaft extending therethrough; a pinion gear and a driving gear mounted on said shaft so as to be rotated thereby; a driving mechanism adapted to be driven by said pinion gear; said driving mechanism having a drive arm for engaging and driving a ratchet which is rotatably mounted on said mounting plate; a spring means for biasing said ratchet to a position against a stop means; said stop means having a plurality of positions for determining the length of said timing cycle; said drive arm adapted to rotate said ratchet a predetermined amount for each rotation of said driving mechanism; a means atfixed to said ratchet for displacing an actuating member when said ratchet has been rotated a predetermined amount; said actuating member having an end portion for rotating a segment gear into engagement with said driving gear; said segment gear being mounted on a shaft means so as to impart rotation thereto; a plurality of control cams mounted on said shaft means so as to be rotated thereby; and a plurality of switches operated by said control cams for controlling elements of an appliance.

2. A timer comprising: a mounting plate; a motor mounted to said mounting plate and having a shaft extending therethrough; a pinion gear and a driving gear mounted on said shaft so as to be rotated thereby; a driving mechanism adapted to be driven by said pinion gear; said driving mechanism having a drive arm for engaging and driving a ratchet which is rotatably mounted on said mounting plate; a spring means for biasing said ratchet to a position against a stop means; said drive arm adapted to rotate said ratchet a predetermined amount for each rotation of said driving mechanism; a means aflixed to said ratchet for displacing an actuating member when said ratchet has been rotated a predetermined amount; said actuating member having an end portion for rotating a segment gear into engagement with said driving gear; said segment gear being mounted on a shaft means so as to impart rotation thereto, a plurality of control cams mounted on said shaft means so as to be rotated thereby; and a plurality of switches operated by said control cams for controlling elements of an appliance.

3. A timer having an adjustable timing cycle comprising: a mounting plate; a motor mounted to said mounting plate and having a shaft extending therethrough; a pinion gear and a driving gear mounted on said shaft so as to be rotated thereby; a driving mechanism adapted to be driven by said pinion gear; said driving mechanism having a drive arm for engaging and driving a ratchet which is rotatably mounted on said mounting plate; a coil spring for biasing said ratchet to a position against a stop means; said stop means having a plurality of positions for determining the length of said timing cycle; said drive 'arm adapted to rotate said ratchet a predetermined amount for each rotation of said driving mechanism, a post mounted on said ratchet for displacing a starter spring when said ratchet has been rotated a predetermined amount; said starter spring having an end portion for rotating a segment gear into engagement with said driving gear; said segment gear being mounted on a shaft means so as to impart rotation thereto; a plurality of control cams mounted on said shaft means so as to be rotated thereby; and a plurality of switches operated by said control cams for controlling elements of an appliance.

4. A timer comprising: a mounting plate; a constant speed motor mounted to said mounting plate and having a shaft extending therethrough; a pinion gear and a drive gear mounted on said shaft so as to be rotated thereby; said pinion gear adapted to rotate a driving mechanism; said driving mechanism adapted to impart a rotational motion to a segment gear after a predetermined number of revolutions of said pinion gear; said rotational motion being sufficient to engage said segment gear with said drive gear; a lever means engageable with a post on said segment gear and adapted to reset said driving mechanism when said segment gear is engaged with said drive gear, a shaft means journalled in said mounting plate and adapted to be rotated by said segment gearg a plurality of control cams mounted'on said shaft means so as to be rotated thereby; and a plurality of switches adapted to be operated by said earns.

5. A timer comprising: a mounting plate; a constant speed motor mounted to said mounting plate and having a shaft extending therethrough; a pinion gear and a drive gear mounted on said shaft so as to be rotated thereby; said pinion gear adapted to rotate a driving mechanism; said driving mechanism adapted to impart a rotational motion to a segment gear after a predetermined number of revolutions of said pinion gear; said rotational motion being suflicient to engage said segment gear with said drive gear; a manual means for engaging said segment gear with said drive gear; a manual means for resetting said driving mechanism after said segment gear has been manually engaged with said drive gear; a shaft means journalled in said mounting plate and adapted to be rotated by said segment gear; a plurality of control cams mounted on said shift means so as to be rotated thereby and a plurality of switches adapted to be operated by said cams.

6. A timer having an adjustable timing cycle comprising: a constant speed motor having a pinion gear and a driving gear mounted on a common shaft so as to be rotated thereby; a driving mechanism adapted to be rotated by said pinion gear; said driving mechanism having a drive arm coupled thereto for rotating a ratchet a predetermined amount for each revolution of said driving mechanism; a spring means for biasing said ratchet against a stop means; said stop means having a plurality of positions for determining the length of said timing cycle; a back-up pawl for preventing movement of said ratchet when said drive arm is not engaged therewith; said ratchet having a post mounted thereon for displacing an actuating member when said ratchet has been rotated a predetermined amount; said actuating member having an end portion for rotating a segment gear into engagement with said driving gear when said actuating member is displaced; a lever means engageable with a post on said segment gear and adapted to disengage said drive arm and said back-up pawl from said ratchet, thereby permitting said ratchet to return to a position against said stop means after said segment gear is engaged with said driving gear; a plurality of control cams mounted on a common shaft means with said segment gear so as to be rotated thereby; and a plurality of switches adapted to be operated by said control cams,

7. A timer having an adjustable timing cycle comprising: a constant speed motor having a pinion gear and a driving gear mounted on a common shaft so as to be rotated thereby; a driving mechanism adapted to be rotated by said pinion gear; said driving mechanism having a drive arm coupled thereto for rotating a ratchet a predetermined amount for each revolution of said driving mechanism; a spring means for biasing said ratchet against a stop means; said stop means having a plurality of positions for determining the length of said timing cycle; a back-up pawl for preventing movement of said ratchet when aid drive arm is not engaged therewith; said ratchet having a post mounted thereon fordisplacing an actuating member when said ratchet has been rotated a predetermined amount; said actuating member having an end portion for rotating a segment gear into engagement with said driving gear when said actuating member is displaced; a means for manually rotating said ratchet so as to displace said actuating member, thereby engaging said segment gear with said driving gear; a plurality of control cams mounted on a common shaft means with said segment gear so as to be rotated thereby; and a plurality of switches adapted to be operated by said control cams.

8. A timer having an adjustable timing cycle comprising: a constant speed motor having a pinion gear and a driving gear mounted on a common shaft 30 as to be rotated thereby; a driving mechanism adapted to be rotated by said pinion gear; said driving mechanism having a drive arm coupled thereto for rotating a ratchet a predetermined amount for each revolution of said driving mechanism; a spring means for biasing said ratchet against a stop means; said stop means having a plurality of positions for determining the length of said timing cycle; a back-up pawl for preventing movement of said ratchet when said drive arm is not engaged therewith; said ratchet having a post mounted thereon for displacing an actuating member when said ratchet has been rotated a predetermined amount; said actuating member having an end portion for rotating a segment gear into engagement with said driving gear when said actuating member is displaced; a means for manually rotating said ratchet so as to displace said actuating member, thereby engaging said segment gear with said driving gear; a manually operable lever means for disengaging said drive arm and said back-up pawl from said ratchet, thereby permitting said ratchet to return to a position against said stop means; a plurality of control cams mounted on a common shaft means with said segment gear so as to be rotated thereby; and a plurality of switches adapted to be operated by said control cams.

9. A timer having an adjustable timing cycle comprising: a constant speed motor having a pinion gear and a driving gear mounted on a common shaft so as to be rotated thereby; a driving mechanism adapted to be rotated by said pinion gear, said driving mechanism having a drive arm coupled thereto for rotating a ratchet a predetermined amount for each revolution of said driving mechanism; a spring means for biasing said ratchet against a stop means; said stop means having a plurality of positions for determining the length of said timing cycle; a back-up pawl for preventing movement of said ratchet when said drive arm is not engaged therewith; said ratchet having a post mounted thereon for displacing an actuating member when said ratchet has been rotated a predetermined amount; said actuating member having an end for rotating a segment gear into engagement with said driving gear when said actuating member is displaced; a lever means engageable with a post on said segment gear and adapted to disengage said drive arm and said back-up pawl from said ratchet, thereby permitting said ratchet to return to a position against said stop means after said segment gear is engaged with said driving gear; a means for manually rotating said ratchet so as to displace said actuating member, thereby engaging said segment gear with said driving gear; a plurality of control cams mounted on a common shaft means with said segment gear so as to be rotated thereby; and a plurality of switches adapted to be operated by said control cams.

10. A timer having an adjustable timing cycle comprising: a constant speed motor having a pinion gear and a driving gear mounted on a common shaft so as to be rotated thereby; a driving mechanism adapted to be rotated by said pinion gear; said driving mechanism having a drive arm coupled thereto for rotating a ratchet a predetermined amount for each revolution of said driving mechanism; a spring means for biasing said ratchet against a stop means; said stop means having a plurality of positions for determining the length of said timing cycle; a back-up pawl for preventing movement of said ratchet when said drive arm is not engaged therewith; said ratchet having a post mounted thereon for displacing an actuating member when said ratchet has been rotated a predetermined amount; said actuating member having an end for rotating a segment gear into engagement with said driving gear when said actuating member is displaced; a lever means engageable with a post on said segment gear and adapted to disengage said drive arm and said back-up pawl from said ratchet, thereby permitting said ratchet to return to a position against said stop means after said segment gear is engaged with said driving gear; a means for manually rotating said ratchet so as to displace said actuating member, thereby engaging said segment gear with said driving gear; a manually operable lever means for disengaging said drive arm and said back-up pawl from said ratchet, thereby permitting said ratchet to return to a position against said stop means; a plurality of control cams mounted on a common shaft means with said segment gear so as to be rotated thereby; and a plurality of switches adapted to be operated by said control earns.

11. A timer comprising a mounting plate, a motor mounted to said mounting plate and having a shaft extending therethrough, a pinion gear and a drive gear mounted on said shaft so as to be rotated thereby, said pinion gear adapted to rotate a driving mechanism including an actuating member for displacing a segment gear into engagement with said drive gear after a predetermined number of revolutions of said pinion gear, a lever means engageable with a post on said segment gear and adapted to reset said driving mechanism when said segment gear is engaged with said drive gear, a shaft means journalled in said mounting plate and adapted to be rotated by said segment gear, a plurality of control cams mounted on said shaft means so as to be rotated thereby, and a plurality of switches adapted to be operated by said cams.

12. A timer comprising a mounting plate, a motor mounted to said mounting plate and having a shaft extending therethrough, a pinion gear and a drive gear mounted on said shaft so as to be rotated thereby, said pinion gear adapted to rotate a driving mechanism including spring means for displacing a segment gear into engagement with said drive gear after a predetermined number of revolutions of said pinion gear, a lever means engageable with a post on said segment gear and adapted to reset said driving mechanism after said segment gear is displaced through a predetermined arcuate increment by said drive gear and when said segment gear is engaged with said drive gear, a shaft means journalled in said mounting plate and adapted to be rotated by said segment gear, a plurality of control cams mounted on said shaft means so as to be rotated thereby, and a plurality of switches adapted to be operated by said cams.

13. A timer comprising, a mounting plate, a motor mounted to said mounting plate and having a shaft extending therethrough, a pinion gear and a drive gear mounted on said shaft so as to be rotated thereby, said pinion gear adapted to rotate a driving mechanism including spring means having a free end for engaging with and arcuately displacing a segment gear into engagement with a drive gear after a predetermined number of revolutions of said pinion gear, a lever means engageable with a post on said segment gear and adapted to reset said driving mechanism after said segment gear is displaced through a predetermined arcuate increment by said drive gear and when said segment gear is engaged with said drive gear, a shaft means journalled in said mounting plate and carrying said segment gear, a plurality of control cams mounted on said shaft means so as to be rotated by displacement -of said segment gear, and a plurality of switches adapted to be operated by said cams.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,981,808 4/1961 Klein 200-38 3,188,409 6/1965 Linn 20038 3,239,614 3/1966 Simmons 20038 BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner. H. E. SPRINGBORN, Assistant Examiner. 

4. A TIMER COMPRISING: A MOUNTING PLATE; A CONSTANT SPEED MOTOR MOUNTED TO SAID MOUNTING PLATE AND HAVING A SHAFT EXTENDING THERETHROUGH; A PINION GEAR AND A DRIVE GEAR MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT SO AS TO BE ROTATED THEREBY; SAID PINION GEAR ADAPTED TO ROTATE A DRIVING MECHANISM; SAID DRIVING MECHANISM ADAPTED TO IMPART A ROTATIONAL MOTION TO A SEGMENT GEAR AFTER A PREDETERMINED NUMBER OF REVOLUTIONS OF SAID PINION GEAR; SAID ROTATIONAL MOTION BEING SUFFICIENT TO ENGAGE SAID SEGMENT GEAR WITH SAID DRIVE GEAR; A LEVER MEANS ENGAGEABLE WITH A POST ON SAID SEGMENT GEAR AND ADAPTED TO RESET SAID DRIVING MECHANISM WHEN SAID SEGMENT GEAR IS ENGAGED WITH SAID DRIVE GEAR, A SHAFT MEANS JOURNALLED IN SAID MOUNTING PLATE AND ADAPTED TO BE ROTATED BY SAID SEGMENT GEAR; A PLURALITY OF CONTROL CAMS MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT MEANS SO AS TO BE ROTATED THEREBY; AND A PLURALITY OF SWITCHES ADAPTED TO BE OPERATED BY SAID CAMS. 